Midnight Snack
by Crookykanks
Summary: Galinda rolled over in her bed with a moan, clutching her pillow to her belly. She whimpered pitifully as her stomach gave another growl of protest. Surely her new diet wasn't as bad as all this.
1. Midnight Snack

Galinda rolled over in her bed with a moan, clutching her pillow to her belly. She whimpered pitifully as her stomach gave another growl of protest. The lacy lining of the pillow, invisible in the dark of the dorm room, scratched Galinda's chin as she curled herself around it, hoping that somehow the pressure of it against her growling belly would calm, or at least muffle, the sound. The small stomach only protested louder.

Galinda groaned again and tossed herself forcefully onto her other side to check the time. 11:48. Unnamed God, why was she so hungry? She had had a reasonable dinner, hadn't she? Carrot sticks and garden salad with light dressing. Well, reasonable for her new diet, anyway. How else was she to get into that beautiful new dress ShenShen had offered to let her wear next week? ShenShen was so tiny, after all (well, not as thin as Miss Elphaba, perhaps, but much smaller than Galinda in any case) and when ShenShen offered to lend you a dress, you did _not_ refuse. Such generosity came with an act as that. It simply was not done!

So she would just ignore her body's boisterous protests to her new diet and go to sleep. Oh, but how to sleep in such a condition, with her stomach contracting oddly and making those horrible gurgling noises. Surely she could not be as hungry as that. Restlessly, Galinda tossed her pillow behind her where it missed the edge of her bed and toppled to the floor. She then kicked her comforter and blanket to the foot of her bed and snuggled up with the thin sheet that was left tucked around her body. After a few more minutes of tossing and turning, Galinda decided that her current state did not allow for sleep, or indeed rest of any kind. Irritably, she got out of the bed, tossing the sheet to meet the rest of her covers, which were threatening to fall to the floor beside her bed, and walked over to her vanity. Galinda banged open the middle drawer on the left, not minding her roommate in the least (Miss Elphaba, always one for extremes, could sleep through a train wreck, or else was never asleep at all.) Galinda groped around in the drawer noisily until she found a small tape measure and a match. Thumping back to her bed, Galinda lit the candle on her nightstand and thrust the tape measure around her waist. Twenty nine and a half inches.

"Damn." Galinda muttered, throwing the tape measure to meet her pillow on the floor. She still needed to lose another three and a half inches if she wanted to wear that dress. She'd been eating like a rabbit for four days now, why wasn't she losing the weight quicker? Galinda threw herself full length onto her bed once more and tugged the covers around her body again, ruing the loss of her pillow. She soon began to toss again, harrumphing softly. Her eyes roamed the room, scanning the candle, which she had not bothered blowing out, the bedposts, her vanity, the outfit she had laid out for tomorrow (would it suddenly look frumpy from her weight loss?) and finally, ruefully, her roommate. Her slumbering obnoxiously thin roommate. What did _dear_ Miss Elphaba eat that kept her so thin? Surely it was not those apples she always seemed to be gnawing on. An apple a day might keep a doctor away, but it could not give you a twenty two inch waist. Of course, Miss Elphaba's slim waist was lost by her slim hips and chest as well. Galinda suspected that she was the same width where ever you measured her, except at those bony shoulders. She would be twenty five inches there. As Galinda scrutinized and cursed her roommate, the green girl in question turned over slowly and eyed Galinda back.

"Oh, so you haven't fallen asleep then? Pity, I was beginning to think the herd of horses on your bed had passed and would leave the room quiet enough for me to sleep as well."

Galinda harrumphed again in reply.

"You sound like me." Elphaba remarked, "What's the matter? Can't the princess get her beauty sleep tonight? Or has she discovered that she's not a mouse and therefore cannot eat as one?"

Galinda started, "Why have you been inspecting my eating habits, Miss Elphaba?" she growled. Elphaba cackled back softly.

"There are no sugary confections lying around for me to pinch, Miss Galinda. I have not been spying on you, but rather my own eating habits have suffered a bit. I think I'm losing weight." The last part was drowning in the dull sarcasm Miss Elphaba seemed to love so dearly. Miss Galinda sniffed furiously and tossed away from Miss Elphaba's smirking face with another "Hmph."

For a moment, all was quiet, and Galinda suspected that her roommate had let the matter go. She was settling back into her previous restlessness, when a voice whispered in her ear.

"I can get you into the kitchens, you know, if you're truly hungry."

Galinda yelped and jumped away from Miss Elphaba, who had apparently slipped out of her own bed and come to stand inches away from Galinda's face. Now that Galinda was sitting bolt upright on the other side of her bed, Miss Elphaba took a seat calmly and spoke again.

"I work in the kitchens some days, and I know the place by heart. People go down there for midnight snacks all the time. A bit of bread at least won't hurt your precious figure and might allow us both to get some sleep tonight."

"I will not have you force feeding me carbohydrates, Miss Elphaba. I am simply restless and anxious about tomorrow. I am not hungry." Galinda's stomach chose that moment to gurgle deafeningly and clench in on itself, making Galinda double over for a moment. When she looked back up, Miss Elphaba wore a look of pure scrutiny, with one brow cocked and a smirk wide enough to challenge the Unpassable Desserts. One thin green hand slowly extended to Galinda, who shrank back from it.

"One roll and an apple won't ruin your figure."

Sighing and futilely trying to muffle her stomach with one hand, Galinda looked her roommate over, roaming her face, her waist, and eventually, the extended hand. Pouting and cursing her stomach, Galinda accepted the offer.

* * *

"Are you sure there's not an easier--"

"Shh! Do you _want_ to get caught?"

No. Galinda definitely did _not_ want to get caught out in the freezing night in only her robe, silken gown, and tiny slippers. Not that Miss Elphaba was any better covered in only her night frock, as plain and shapeless as any worn in the day. And even, no especially, dressed as she was, Miss Galinda would rather die than be caught with her roommate. Out of the dorm. In the middle of the night. Wearing only her night things. This did not cross the line of propriety, it shattered it. Galinda pulled her robe tightly around her slender frame and wondered for the thousandth time why she had agreed to this. Her stomach was quick to remind her.

"Miss Elphaba, how much longer will this take?" Galinda stammered out. Miss Elphaba spared a glance at Galinda, who was trailing about five feet behind her roommate. Two slender green fingers waved in a "hurry-up" motion, but no vocal response was made. Galinda did not bother stifling her frustration.

"Hmph! Miss Elphaba if you do not acknowledge me right this instant I shall--"

"What? Turn around? Get lost on your way back? Turn me in for being out of the dorm past curfew, and in the process accidentally admit you yourself were with me? Please Miss Galinda, you've come with me, now you will not go back. You don't know the way and you'd get caught besides. Now stay quiet, will you?"

"I shall not stay quiet, Miss Elphaba, no, I shall speak when I desire and right now I desire—Augh!" A crunch ensued from beneath Galinda's feet and part of the ground seemed to give way beneath her. Miss Elphaba, insensitive as ever, did not ask for her well being.

"Watch the lettuces, will you? And for the last time, hush! In case you hadn't noticed, we're nearly there now." Miss Elphaba's smirk was nearly audible. Galinda sniffed ruefully and followed her roommate at an even greater distance than before. Miss Elphaba understandably reached the kitchen building first and Galinda had to walk twenty feet around the building before finding the green girl at one of the back windows. Just as Galinda rounded the corner, Elphaba managed to unhitch the latch on the window. She lifted the glass pane with only a slight squeak, muttering incoherently as she did so, and slipped inside. Galinda was surprised to see that Elphaba held the glass up for her, but disgruntled to see how small and dirty the area was.

"Come on, I can't hold this all night and your stomach will bring about the whole campus." Elphaba said caustically. Galinda put on a face of utter disgust.

"If you think I'm crawling through those cobwebs and squirming through that dust, you can go teach a monkey to fly while you're at it!" Galinda replied sharply, recoiling from the window and clutching her robe all the more tightly as though to protect it from the grime. Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Galinda! It's not as though your slippers aren't dirty from the vegetables already. A little more dust won't hurt you. You can wash off when we get back, now get in here before you're sighted!" Reaching out with one hand, Elphaba grabbed Galinda around the ankle and gave a sharp tug. Galinda squealed as she nearly lost her balance, and Elphaba recoiled from the noise, releasing Galinda at once.

"Will you shut up, you brat?!" Elphaba hissed. Galinda, feeling slightly queasy, obliged. "Now, come on!" Elphaba waved her on once again, her green digits swiping furiously at the air between the two girls. Trying to focus on anything but the filth, Galinda lowered herself to the ground and, assisted by Elphaba's steady grip, slid feet first through the window and landed on the kitchen tiles with a slight thud. Elphaba huffed and spun around on her heel, headed for the far wall. Galinda took a minute to peruse her surroundings. It was dark and difficult to see, but she could make out several old cabinets and a dusty wooden table, desperate in its nearly rotten state, surrounded by sturdy chairs that surely were not part of the original decorum.

"Aha!" came Elphaba's voice through the darkness, no more than a whisper, and all at once the room was filled with light. Galinda saw tile counters, recently cleaned and shining drawers of cutlery, all of which made her feel greatly relieved for the campus food produced here. She heaved a sigh of relief seeing open pantry doors with Elphaba's green feet poking out oddly.

"Do you know where all the food is kept, Miss Elphaba?" Galinda asked with as much politeness as she could muster. Her response came in the form on an apple, which she managed to catch inches from her face.

"Damn, I was aiming for your mouth. I thought I'd close it for you, since you seemingly haven't gotten the message about staying quiet." For once, Elphaba's voice was not unkind, however, and Galinda merely took a large satisfied bite out of the fruit. She could hear her roommate's soft cackle from the pantry. Galinda took her treat and went over to the chairs (they didn't match the table at all) and dragged it over to the counters, where Elphaba joined her moments later, carting another apple for herself and two dinner rolls.

"If you weren't so obviously watching your waistline, I'd offer you a dose of cream to help you sleep." Elphaba muttered, "I think I'd like to treat myself, however, if you don't mind."

"Why should you care what I mind?" Galinda replied airily, her mouth stuffed with apple and the juice pouring down her chin, "you've certainly never bothered caring before."

"You've never given me reason nor asked me to care before," Elphaba retorted without missing a beat, "Or perhaps I'm turning over a new leaf, a brown one so my skin will change as well." She tossed a dish towel in Galinda's lap, "Clean yourself off, my pretty. The apple juice, tasty though it may be, does little for your complexion." Galinda chuckled and accepted the offer, dabbing daintily at her chin while her cheeks bulged with the fruit.

They sat in silence for a bit after that and it was not until Galinda had finished her apple and roll that she spoke again, "That was marvelous, but I feel large as a cow at the moment. I do hope it goes down."

"No fears, my pretty," Elphaba replied, swallowing a bite of her own roll, "If it doesn't I'll lace your corset so any dress will fit you, even one of my own." Galinda, picturing this and imagining it to be rather painful, winced and chuckled simultaneously.

"My dear Miss Elphaba, should I ever wear one of your dresses, I believe I should have little problem fitting in them, as they are made to be worn by bales of hay, not women." To her surprise, Elphaba laughed, her usual eerie cackle, yes, but it was a laugh.

"Oh, dear Miss Galinda, what makes you think I could support your finery? I haven't the figure nor the tones. I haven't the features nor the curves. There is no reason for me to dress for show as I have nothing _to_ show."

"They make dresses for your type as well," Galinda insisted, pouting.

"Would that be the tall twig type or the string bean type?"

"Why you are impossible!" Galinda hissed playfully, "The tall thin type, I mean, and I believe you could look quite pretty in them, too. Oh, don't give me that look – yes, _that_ look – you never do anything with your hair and we both know that it is worthy of being shown. If you hair is so pretty, but you refuse to show it, why should I believe you when you say you have nothing else to show?"

Elphaba considered this for a moment, her skeptical stare lost in a furrow of her brow, before answering.

"We room together, Miss Galinda, surely you know what I look like. My garments, however unflattering they may be, hide very little. You cannot pretend that is not true."

"Perhaps," Galinda was not going to give this up now, "but they do manage to hide your wonderfully slender waist. Perhaps a simple sash tied around your frock--"

"A pink sash, I presume? With frills and lace and bows and the like?"

"Not necessarily," Galinda replied evasively. She had been picturing that, "but a contrasting color for sure." Elphaba sniffed and rolled her eyes, finishing off the last of her roll.

"Would you like anything else while we're here, pretty? A cup of warm milk to soothe your thoughts, perhaps?"

"That sounds lovely," Galinda called through a rather ungraceful yawn, "Wait – what did you just call me?"

"I've been calling you "my pretty" all evening, sweet." Elphaba's voice rose from the depths of the pantry again, where there must have been a chilled area for the milk.

"I hadn't noticed," Galinda muttered. She then realized she had just been called "sweet" as well, "Should I take these new terms as insults coming from you? 'Pretty' and 'sweet'?" Elphaba's cackle preceded her out of the pantry.

"Take them as you will, my pretty, but I mean no harm." She emerged with a cracked mug, yellowed with stains, but clean to the touch, and a chipped bowl with a small helping of cream. Setting her burdens on the counter, Elphaba walked over to the cutlery drawers and, after a minute of fidgeting with what appeared to be a broken lock, opened it.

"Should I pull out one spoon or two?"

"One, I believe I've had enough damage done to my figure for one night," Galinda sighed. Elphaba returned without a word and began to elegantly lift airy puffs of cream to her mouth. Galinda merely sipped at the milk. Oh, but that small bit of sweet would taste so good. For a moment, Galinda's eyes followed the green fingers as they flew lightly back and forth, carrying the sweet reward of their labors up to open lips, and Galinda found herself focused on those lips, as they parted delicately for the gift the fingers brought. She hadn't even noticed when Elphaba suddenly stopped with the spoon halfway to her mouth and only snapped out of her study of those soft green lips when the body they belonged to cleared her throat.

"Oh!" Galinda furiously turned back to her cup and took a long sip of milk, hoping to cool her flaming cheeks. Elphaba sighed.

"Good thing I didn't listen to you, you silly thing," she said.

"Whatever are you talking about?" Galinda whispered forcefully, not taking her eyes from her milk.

"I grabbed two spoons." And sure enough a clean spoon was dunked softly in Galinda's milk and left there.

"Oh, fine!" Galinda huffed, but took the spoon from her milk, licked it clean once more and drove it into the cream, lifting a large lump out and stuffing it into her mouth. Some was left on her lips and a tiny speck of white stained her nose. Elphaba laughed and grabbed another dish towel. But she didn't toss this one to Galinda, instead, she wiped off the rosy face herself, rubbing firmly at the lips and dabbing gently at the nose. Galinda couldn't help but giggle at the sensation. Together, they finished off the cream, and Galinda offered Elphaba a sip of her milk, which, surprisingly, was accepted.

"I think we'd best be off, now, my pretty," Elphaba whispered as she grabbed the dishes and wrapped them in the soiled towels. She laid them gently in a sink installed within the counter top and ran a small bit of water over them. She then dashed back to the far wall, and the light dimmed out once again. Galinda made her way over to the windows and met her roommate at the same one they entered through. While Elphaba worked with the latch, Galinda busied herself trying to dust off the window ledge with a paper napkin she had found on the countertop.

"You know," Galinda remarked lightly as Elphaba sprung the latch and lifted the window pane, without any squeak this time, "You'll have to go first and lift me up, as I'm sure I've gained ten pounds thanks to you." Elphaba snorted a most ungainly snort and easily lifted herself through the open window. Once more, she held it open while Galinda squirmed through and offered the assistance of her free hand.

Silently, they trekked back to the dorm area, much more quickly than they had come and toed their way softly through the halls until they reached the safety of their own room. Galinda immediately flounced onto her bed and Elphaba turned back her own covers. It was only when Galinda was shucking her robe that she realized –

"Miss Elphaba! You weren't wearing any slippers!" Elphaba seemed nonplussed.

"I haven't any slippers to wear, my pretty, and I hardly felt it was worth the effort to fasten those boots."

"But that filthy floor! And all the dirt outside!"

"Don't you worry about it, my sweet. I'll wash my feet in the morning and you won't have to see them until then." As though to prove her point, Elphaba clambered into her bed and shoved her feet firmly below the sheets.

"But now you'll be sleeping in that dirt!"

"The sheets will be washed as well. Now get your beauty sleep, pretty. That was the goal, remember?" Elphaba smirked as she laid back down on her bed and turned over so her back was facing Galinda once more. Sighing, but relieved that her restlessness had all but disappeared, Galinda retrieved her pillow and scuttled into her bed as well, pulling the covers firmly up to her chin.

"Fresh dreams, Miss Elphaba."

"Fresh dreams, my sweet."


	2. Beauty, Dress and Corset

A/N: This is an optional secondary piece to Midnight Snack. Even though they may each stand on their own, I thought I would post them together as that was how they were originally intended to be read. I'm much more pleased with MS than I am with this, but it was fun to write, so here it is. Thank you, everyone, for all the support you've shown me so far! I'm flattered!

Oh, and this more than hints at the Gelphie. It's there - you don't have to read hard.

* * *

Galinda did her best not to moan as she released the pent up air from her lungs and felt again felt the constricting sensation around her waist. _Lurline this was torture!_ Furiously, she whipped her head around, her clutch on the edge of the vanity never faltering, and glared severely at the periwinkle dress on her bed. Mockingly, the rhinestones glinted back at her, twinkling their delight in her pain.

"Measure me, will you, Miss Elphaba?" she gasped, turning back to her mirror, as the dress was far too much of an annoyance to be worth the effort of her loathing. Elphaba, standing awkwardly behind Galinda, with her legs spread, one hand firmly pulling the laces of the whalebone corset and the other bracing Galinda's lower back, huffed loudly and reached for the tape measure on the vanity, her hand roughly brushing the corseted waist and bare underarm. Elphaba took the measurement quickly, knowing well the number they were aiming for by now.

"Just another half inch, my pretty. You're nearing the twenty-six mark now." Galinda heaved a dramatic sigh. Another half inch? She felt as though her insides were ready to burst already. She wouldn't be able to eat so much as a cracker the whole day! Elphaba had dropped the tape measure unceremoniously to the floor and repositioned herself behind Galinda's bent and well curved frame, waiting for the nod that would tell her to strain the laces to their breaking point and suffocate her despairing roommate. The nod came and Galinda once again relinquished her breath.

Galinda, her body suffering from lack of oxygen, focused herself fully on her image in the mirror in front of her. The beige corset was trimmed in ivory lace that barely covered her heaving breasts and was embroidered with black silk along the piping. It was one of the most beautiful pieces she owned (pity no one should ever see it) and she feared Miss Elphaba's tugs might rip it apart at the seams. Or perhaps that was her own fault, for not fully following her diet plans. She would've been fine had it not been for that cream. And the breadstick with dinner the next night. And that cream cheese on the bagel (the one she shouldn't have had in the first place, as she _should _have had only the carrot sticks) hadn't helped either. The _one_ time Miss Elphaba had to be concerned about her well being, it was while she was on a diet. How perfectly _typical_. How wonderfully _Elphaba_.

Galinda nearly screeched as Elphaba gave another tug at the strings, cursing and praising that grip in the same thought. However, she found there was no allowance for a breath deep enough to merit screeching, or really much in the way of noise at all. Elphaba, oblivious to Galinda's heaving attempts at breaths, grabbed the measure once again and thrust it around Galinda's waist once more, her arm jostling the bursting breast this time.

"Twenty six inches, minus a mark or two. Now if only you could walk." Elphaba exclaimed, sneering through her own gasping breaths. She had never imagined the effort of pulling in a waist by a mere three inches could be so much work. Surely the dress would have fit over her anyway.

"I can walk, Miss Elphaba," Galinda panted, "and the effort would hardly have been so great had you not thrown me from my diet." With great difficulty, she turned around and faced the green girl, who had toppled onto Galinda's bed exhausted.

"I'd hate to think of you getting that thin naturally. You'd be having fainting spells all over the place I imagine," came the serrated voice from below a lavender puffed pillow.

"You're one to talk," Galinda hissed as she deliberately made her way toward the dress. It really was beautiful, white lining with a sheer periwinkle tulle gathered at the shoulders and waist, rhinestone diamonds glistening along the bust line and hem. "Help me get this on."

Elphaba raised herself up, grunting with effort and stared blankly at Galinda for a moment.

"You're quite the sight, you know that. I say you should simply walk out into the halls right now and see what they think of you." The smirk was visually lost in a curl of lip, but its presence pervaded the atmosphere nonetheless. Galinda was in no mood for this.

"They'd think me to be Kumbricia herself, I suspect. Now you promised to help, so for Lurline's sake don't mock me!" Galinda scowled. Still cackling, Elphaba snatched the dress from beside her on the bed and crudely lifted it over Galinda's head. Galinda raised her arms, much to her discomfort and aided the dress onto her form, hands flailing from under the fabric. At first, the dress slid on easily. However, it began to bunch over Galinda's breasts, bulging as they were under the stress of the corset, and eventually neither girl could coax it any further down.

"You'd think I was sweating so much it'd simply slip on down," Galinda heaved.

"I have some oil, if you think that'll work." Galinda considered this carefully. It would probably help the fabric slide on her skin, but would it hurt the dress? _Lurline, haven't I been through enough already?_

"Let's try."

Elphaba ran for the oil, and Galinda attempted to sit down for a moment. Unfortunataly, not matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn't bend enough at the hips to manage it. The comfort of the chair eluded her. Instead, she followed her roommate's earlier example and flounced onto the bed (she had to jump up a bit so as not to miss or slide back off onto the floor). When Elphaba returned with her oils, she stopped in the doorway to the bathroom and stared. For a few peculiar moments, she thought perhaps that a cloud had decided to perch itself on top Galinda's head, and only her legs were left, poking out oddly from beneath the blue. Chuckling to herself, Elphaba strode over to her roommate, but decided not to mention her thoughts to Galinda, flushed and ruffled as she was.

"If you use a small amount, it shouldn't even touch the dress. It'll work like hand lotion on a tricky ring." Galinda struggled to sit upright.

"Wherever did you learn of that trick?"

"I had a mother once, a Nanny now, and you for a roommate. I was bound to pick it up eventually." Elphaba grinned, handing Galinda the oil. Galinda, after moment's fight with the lids, began to pour a bit of it into her hands, but found it terribly difficult. She writhed and twisted, trying to manage her hands around the inhibiting pouf of fabric that seemed to be engulfing her.

"Miss Elphaba," She huffed finally, "If I can't get this oil in my hands properly, however will I get it where it needs to go for the dress?"

Elphaba began to prepare a snide retort, but suddenly flushed instead, realizing quickly that society did not permit Galinda to ask her directly for help in this matter. Wordlessly, (for no other reason than she didn't trust her voice) Elphaba took back her oil and rubbed a small amount on the very tips of her fingers and gingerly placed them on Galinda's breasts. At first, the green fingers were very light with their work, hardly touching the exposed flesh in the slightest and rubbing in tiny circles over the same area. Galinda felt her face heat up as Elphaba eventually became braver with her oils, openly rubbing her palms firmly into the ample flesh. Even as she leaned away from the touches and Elphaba removed her hands, Galinda became acutely aware of the heat from her face spread down her body and settled near her chest and stomach. She was also mildly aware of an unexplainable panging sort of sensation further down. Her breathing already inhibited, and her cheeks flushed before, Galinda prayed to Lurline that her roommate wouldn't notice. Elphaba, her eyes averted, crossed her arms and pretended that she didn't. The dress slid down easily.

Galinda squirmed out of the bed and just managed to touch her bare feet to the floor. She wobbled over to her vanity (she was getting better at moving about in the constricting garment), and reached out obstinately for a hairbrush, one hand gripping the edge of the dresser, just in case. Elphaba's features softened and her eyes lifted, though she did not move. She simply watched Galinda, her hands falling limply to her sides. Her eyes followed Galinda as she struggled to accommodate her morning routine to her new method of breathing.

"Galinda," She began, as the mass of curly hair began to tame slightly, "You look like a queen."

"Not yet, I don't, but I will once--"

"_No_." It was the controlled force of the simple word that made Galinda stop and actually face her roommate, "You're simply beautiful. Regal even." There was a longing in her voice, a pang of sorts. The sort of tone used by the likes of ShenShen and Pfannee when they came across a particularly nice pair of shoes, a pair just out of the price range. Galinda had never heard it coming from Elphaba before, never envisioned the green girl wanting anything. She always seemed content with what was there, because nothing else was needed. Oh yes, she'd heard Miss Elphaba speak of things she wanted, a new book from the library, a drink from a pricy restaurant, a good report on her latest paper, but those things were well within Miss Elphaba's reach. It occurred to Galinda, that perhaps her roommate desired this sort of beauty, and honestly believed she couldn't have it.

"Well, I can take you shopping, silly. I know this wonderful little boutique that produces gowns I couldn't _dream_ of fitting in, but – Miss Elphaba, are you listening to me?" No, she wasn't. With a shake of her head and a half-smirk, Elphaba had turned back to her own morning routine and was steadfastly gathering books into her arms. Galinda dropped the hairbrush to her side and watched her roommate intently. She was an odd thing, scuttling about her bed, trying to collect the week's books that were due back at the Crage library. Anticipating the next step, Galinda walked across the room, fumbling despite her bare feet, and stepped in front of the door, shutting it softly behind her. Elphaba, having gathered what she needed and slung it all into her pack, walked pointedly to the door, not even noticing Galinda until the two girls bumped noses with each other. Galinda, determined not to let her roommate leave her alone for the remainder for the morning, did her best not to jump or wobble at the sudden contact. Elphaba, on the other hand, started, having only just realized the obstacle in her path. But she merely bristled and did not step back, daring Galinda to make the first move. Galinda pointedly refused this dare and continued to look her roommate hotly in the eyes. Several clock tics passed this way.

"Miss Elphaba," Galinda finally gritted, "would you kindly back up a bit? You're stealing the little bit of air I can force into my lungs right now." Elphaba took one small deliberate step backwards, but otherwise gave no response. Galinda huffed, but swooned a bit from the effort it took.

"Don't faint," came Elphaba's voice, "You'll muss your hair and bruise your pretty face."

"I'll do my best," Galinda retorted, giving Elphaba her best glare, "but you really mustn't simply drop out of a conversation like that. It's incredibly rude." Elphaba shot her own withering glare at Galinda, who couldn't help but shrink back, although she quickly recovered.

"The term 'conversation' implies two or more parties speaking together on the same subject. I wasn't aware that that had been the case, as I was not talking about shopping." She attempted once again to slide past Galinda, who in turn jutted out her hip to block the way.

"No, we were speaking of beauty, a rare enough subject for you so I'm not going to drop it, and I was offering to help you buy some pretty things before you shut me off." Elphaba laughed softly, and Galinda saw that half-smirk again.

"Oh, my sweet," No, it wasn't a smirk at all. It was a smile. A half-smile, a sad smile, but it was there. Galinda's heart almost melted at the sight of it. "I don't want to buy pretty things. That is not the sort of beauty that interests me."

No, it wasn't and Galinda knew that full well. Then why was Miss Elphaba's tone so wistful? Why were her eyes distant and glazed? What sort of beauty could she – Oh. _Natural beauty._ Something in which she was severely lacking. The sort of beauty that brought longing stares, rather than the scandalized and scornful looks that Miss Elphaba was surely accustomed to (Galinda herself had given her roommate those looks once.) A kind of beauty which Galinda was full of, overflowing in, actually (this thinking was not vanity, it was fact. Galinda knew she possessed more than her fair share of society's beauty.) 'My Pretty' Miss Elphaba called her. _My_ Pretty. It was more than just a nickname. She should have known. Miss Elphaba never did anything for only one reason, and she was not given to cute nicknames. And certainly one could claim Miss Elphaba to be _exotic _or _intriguing _in her looks, but these terms of implied beauty would always fall short of their mark. There was simply no denying the harshness of those features, the sharpness of those angles, the sketched anger on the brow. Galinda tried to catch her roommate's eye, but Miss Elphaba's gaze was trained sternly on her boots. For a moment, all was silent.

"How often do you wash those, Miss Elphaba?"

"Every day on the outside, every week on the in," was the monotonous reply.

"And your frocks?"

"As they need it."

"Would you consider wearing one of my scarves today, my beauty?" Elphaba started and looked up for the first time, her jaw slack. She mouthed Galinda's words silently for a moment, as though not believing her ears, "If you are to give me an endearment, I shall have to give you one as well. It's only fitting."

"No, my sweet, it's not particularly fitting," Elphaba sighed, her smirk returning.

"What would you prefer I call you then? 'My little bookworm' or 'my surprise,' perhaps?" Galinda was grinning now and regaining a bit of her energy. Elphaba shook her head slowly.

"I don't know. Nanny used to call me 'little frog' or sometimes 'devil demon.'" Galinda couldn't tell if she was joking or not, "The children always preferred 'lizard girl' but I was never terribly fond of that."

"I can imagine not!" Galinda, though not an expert of the subject, could not detect any of Miss Elphaba's customary sarcasm. Although Miss Elphaba seemed to not be bothered by the apparent harshness of these _endearments_, Galinda could not help but feel pity towards her roommate. Bucking up her courage, Galinda reached out her arms and made to hug her roomie.

Unfortunately, the shift in her balance was all Galinda needed to finally lose her footing under the pressure of her corset. The lack of oxygen had made her legs weak, and she toppled forward, managing to reach Elphaba, but collapsing into her. Elphaba, startled at the sudden burst of movement, was unable to catch Galinda and together they tumbled to the floor.

Legs kicked, arms flailed, and the girls struggled wildly to disentangle themselves from each other. Galinda was greatly inhibited by her corset and found herself still quite unable to bend at the hips. Eventually, Elphaba pushed her over and she lay panting on the ground. Galinda knew she could not get up in time to stop Elphaba's certain escape into the hall, and resigned herself to the fact that she would probably not see her roommate for the rest of the day. But Elphaba did not stand up either. She stayed seated on the floor, legs out in front of her chest and bent at the knees, heaving from exertion as well.

"I had no idea that fashion took this much effort in the morning," she gasped, "I think I'll stick with my frocks, thanks." Galinda giggled despite herself. Leaving her pack on the floor, Elphaba stood and pulled Galinda to her feet. She led Galinda over to the chair at the vanity, supporting a great deal of Galinda's weight, and tried to coax the blonde to sit for a moment. Galinda tried sliding into the chair several times before finally just leaning back with her rear on the very edge of her chair, and her back tilted in a straight line to rest against the chair back. Uncomfortable as the situation was, Galinda was glad to rest her legs and try to breathe again.

Once she had made certain that Galinda was not going to topple out of the chair, Elphaba restacked her books roughly in her arms and made for the door. Galinda didn't try to stop her.

"Will you be able to get up on your own?" came Elphaba's voice from the doorway. She did not look around or face Galinda.

"I suppose I shall simply have to shout for assistance when I need to move," Galinda sighed dramatically. A small chuckle of sorts came from the girl in the doorway and her shoulders shook.

"I pray that a friend shall come to your rescue," Elphaba retorted in much the same tone. Galinda quivered with giggles, knowing full well that to pray would be the _last_ thing her roommate would do. Unable to come up with a suitable response, Galinda heaved a theatrical sigh and made to wave Miss Elphaba through the door.

Miss Elphaba turned, gave a quick smile, and dashed out the door.

Galinda smiled in return and shut her eyes. She would worry later about how she could manage herself through the day. For now, she didn't care if she was still sitting propped up in this same chair when Miss Elphaba returned at the end of the day. Maybe she wouldn't move an inch.

After all, there were no better arms to be caught in, should she fall on the way.


End file.
